I think much of 2012 success compared to 2011 disappointment is thanks to the manager change. Somehow RV took the 2011 roster (minus Buerhle and John Danks!) and rode it almost to the playoffs. This was pretty unexpected and generally the Sox played over their heads (especially vs twins and indians) . Now come back next year with better players, same manager and the White Sox will kick axe. Mainly just get someone at 3rd who can hit and catch, see if you can move ADunn somehow, and hope the pitching stays healthy with return of Danks. And stop running out Sale for multiple 119 or so pitch games, no matter how tempting at the time. I expect big things from 2013 White Sox and if so may have to move back to the south side (55th Honore native) and start enjoying the club in person.

I think they earned a chance try it again. I have a feeling that the players would like playing for a guy like Ventura. This isn't a Bobby Valentine situation. From what I hear, he's a great guy. Ventura really killed all of the crap that went along with Ozzie Guillen by taking over and I'm happy about that.

Hope so.
He got strategically out-maneuvered several times during the season and, imo, seriously over-pitched Sale and kept Dunn intractable as the number 3 hitter, a place ill-suited for him (also, imo).
But, as said above, the players seem to like him.

I'm not going to put forth the effort of looking it up, but if that was one of the biggest chokes in franchise history, the franchise hasn't had too many big chokes.

Yes, seriously. It wasn't like we had talent from top to bottom and we were expected to plow through the playoffs.

The White Sox were a border line team who did an amazing job of staying on top for the majority of the year.

I look at it more as sputtering out than choking. They just didn't have enough at the end. It hurts that they lost it so close, but it's a very long season.

Ventura obviously made some questionable moves, and a few of his moves might have even cost us a game or two, but every team/manager has these. For the last couple weeks, Ventura and the players on this team were throwing everything they had out there to try to pull it out and I appreciate that. It looked like the team was taped together, and trying to limp across the finish the line. Unfortunately, Detroit had more in their tank and passed us up.

This team had one starter who consistently won games. Sale (who was noticeably fatigued at the end of year) was basically the difference between a .500 team and a playoff contender. When that is the reality, I have a hard time using the word "choke" to describe what happened.

I'm certainly not advocating 'firing' Robin by any means but to the points raised about Sox collapses and firings, I can think of two right off the top of my head:

1967 = Stanky... fired in May of 1968.
2003 = Manuel... fired in the off season.

Lip

Manuel was probably gone no matter what the performance was, he plain ran out of scapegoats after throwing Von Joshua under the bus while defending Nardi Contreas, and then throwing him under the bus six months later.